So Cold
by LoveWithoutLimits
Summary: hollow heroes seperate, as they run" SongFic challenge with DementedViper, Breaking Benjamin - So Cold. CharacterDeath.


**Disclaimer : I own nothing and make no money.**

**Warnings : Character death**

**AN1: Un Beta'd so forgive any mistakes **

**AN2: Done as part of songfic challenge (again lol) with the amazingly talented DementedViper who i love for prompting me out of my writing stint :D**

**AN3: Song is Breaking Benjamin - So Cold. Why do i seem to turn every song into something sad? Thinks maybe a pattern is developing here.  
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**Crowded streets are cleared away  
One by One**

It was meant to of been a simple mission, the planet had already agreed to become part of the Federation, the Enterprise even going there was merely a formality. It was a show of good faith, to send the most decorated ship of the Fleet in. There had been excitement among the crew as the mission had been sent, the whole engagement meant to be filled with maybe a couple of meetings and then parties. The types with large amounts of alcohol.

That was definitely something Jim could get on board with when he was required to attend.

This though, this he most definitely could not get on board with.

Explosions, the sounds of screaming ringed through his ears as the hall filled with a flurry of movement. Alcohol ladled minds had snapped clear in an instance, the majority of the Bridge crew among the Officers who had beamed down moving. Jim had allowed himself only a moment to panic, only a moment to let the severity fill him before he moved, counting the men ambushing the room from every side.

He was vaguely aware of Bones shouting near him, desperately trying to get to any of the already injured, of Spock relaying information to him, officers calling warnings and instructions. His mind racked through the information they had been given in the mission briefing, trying to grasp at a reason as he ducked around fire, pushed and pulled his way around the room trying in vain to protect the locals, protect his crew.

Its only when one towered in front of him, a phaser pointing directly into his face that he knew, he knew who this men were and that thought pulled both loathing and fear into him. There had been rumours, of parts of the planet that had resisted to the idea of the Federation and Starfleet, terrorists who had committed countless murders in order to make themselves heard.

Two things happened in exact tandem.

As the man in front of him fell, life disappearing from his eyes as Spock loomed behind him, Jims eyes took in the entire hall in an instant. Blood caked the floors, eyes stared blankly at the ceilings as half his officers already grew cold on the floor.

"Spock." His voice was strained as he spoke. "We're outnumbered."

Spock only nodded as they moved, desperately calling for any and all survivors to run. To just _run_.

**Hollow heroes separate  
As they run**

McCoy's breath clung to his lungs as he ran, pushing his feet to move even when his mind was telling him to stay, to help the people they were leaving behind.

"You can't help them." That was the only thing Jim had said to him as he had dived at him, pushing him forwards to move, reading his mind like only he could. He could sense more than see Spock behind him, not daring to turn and move as he kept his eyes firmly on Jim in front of him.

Their feet slipped as they ran from the hall, the area around them covered in nothing but rough terrain and cliffs, dust mounds that fell away as your feet touched them. In the back of his mind he knew that a beam out was near impossible, their signals masked by the rocks. Their only chance was to reach the spot they had been beamed down to, a good half an hours run away.

McCoy cursed as light filled his vision, blinding him as he struggled and tripped over the rocks, trying not to think about how many people would have been killed in the last explosion. He heard Jim cry his name, felt fingers tug at his arm and flinched, fear gripping him until he saw it was only Spock.

"We must find cover." Spock said calmly, only the smallest hint of a tremor to his voice, the smallest hint of fear showing on the frown of his face.

"Jim." He said weakly, eyes darting round but finding no sign of the Captain. For a moment his heart clenched, pain lancing through him viciously. He would not believe that Jim was gone.

"The Captain was forced to run, the cliff he stood on was unstable. He is alive." Spock said, pulling McCoy to his feet as they ran yet again, the echo of footsteps close behind them.

The 'for now' hung strongly in the air, Jim was alive _for now_.You're so coldKeep your hand in mine

He had to find Bones, he had to find Spock. Nothing else mattered to Jim, nothing else even computed as he turned, running back with all the speed he could muster. The fear that he had felt as he had saw Bones fall, he didn't know if he could take it if something happened to him, and Spock, god Spock. He had never had friends like either of them before, had people that he could trust like them.

He gasped as his feet slipped on something wet, hands scrambling for purchase as he fell, rocks digging into his skin. A tremble rolled over his whole body as his eyes fell to the rock face, the urge to be sick strong.

Staining the stones was blood. Green blood.

"Spock!" He cried, not caring who heard him as he ran. Better they find him then anyone else, better they kill him than his crew. "Spock! Bones!"

"Bones answer me!" He called over and over, panic setting into him as he saw men climbing the hills down to the south, heading straight for his area. A whimper of frustration left his mouth.

"Bones." He said weakly.

"Jim." The voice was quiet, strained but so close. "Jim." The pain in the voice drove him forward, face alight with relief as he fell behind the cliff face, falling to the floor in front of Bones.

"Bones, shit, you're alive." Jim sighed, hand gripping at McCoy's. "Where's Spock?"

McCoy's face fell, eyes holding Jim's nervously, the look of a man about to tell someone something that they hoped beyond hope they didn't have to tell. Jim shivered.

"Bones, where's Spock?"

McCoy shook his head once, eyes scrunching closed before he nodded to the side. Jim turned for the first time, a strangled cry leaving him as he saw Spock laying not a foot from them. Covered in blood, body limp, and his eyes glazed over, he was very clearly, dead. Jim's heart felt like it had been torn from his chest, a whole ripping at tearing its way through him. This was pain like he had never felt before, loss like he could never of imagined. Spock was like family, more like family than his own mother and now he was gone, gone so easily, like he was never there at all.

"He was trying to protect me." McCoy said, the first proper sentence since Jim had shown up. Somehow that meant something, had to mean something. "I tried, I tried to help him but I couldn't." His voice faltered at the end, a grimace leaving him as he twitched in pain. Jims eyes darted back from Spock, widening in an instance as he saw where McCoy's other hand lay, noticing the blood that coated him for the first time.

"No, I won't lose you too, I'm getting us out of here." Jim said strongly, refusing to admit to himself that this could happen, that he could lose them both.

**Wise men wonder while  
Strong men die**

"Kirk to Enterprise!" Jim bellowed, gripping the communicator so tight it cut lines into his palm. "Kirk to Enterprise! Someone come in!"

"Sir can't-you, ships under-can't hold out-critical-transporter failure-" Scotty's broke voice sounded back, the words lost as the signal cut in and out. Jims hand went slack as the few words sunk in, the meaning clear. The Enterprise was under attack, heavy attack, the sort of attack that they might not get out of. Right then Jim knew, the only reason they were still in orbit was them.

He looked at Bones, really looked at him, felt the guilt bubble up inside him as he knew he held both their lives in his hand. He had to decide, decide both of their fates for them because he was Captain, god, that was what he was expected to do. There was no fear in McCoy's eyes as he looked back, no expectation, just acceptance. Somehow that only made things harder.

"Kirk to Enterprise. Leave. Leave now while you can."

"Cant-cant get it fixed-minutes Captain-beam you out."

Jims eyes scrunched shut tight, willing himself to hold it together. "Leave now, that's an order Scotty. Get the hell out of here!" Show me how it ends it's alrightShow me how defenceless you really are

The communicator fizzled out with a crackle, the signal lost. Part of Jim hoped that it did not come back, with no signal they could not lock onto them, then maybe they would leave.

"They won't go Jim." McCoy said weakly, head laying limply against the rock he was pressed against. "They won't leave you."

"Us." Jim said fiercely. "Us Bones." He had to believe that it wasn't just because of him. How do you handle knowing that you were the reason that your ship stayed behind and was destroyed because of it? That you were the only reason hundreds of people were killed. You didn't and Jim couldn't.

"You need to go Jim." McCoy said, tightening his grip on the hand of Jims he still held. "They're going to be here soon, you can make it to the caves if you go, you can survive."

"Why?" Jim said thickly, voice sticking to his throat as his eyes lingered once more on Spocks prone body. "Why should I survive? He's gone and I wasn't here to help him and you, you're-" Jim shook his head, body trembling with the effort to hold it together.

"I'm not going to make it Jim." McCoy said with a sad smile, hating that he was causing Jim this pain. Would it of been easier? If the shot that had taken Spock had taken him as well?

"Don't you say that, don't you dare say that. You can't say that to me." Jim whispered, crouching closer to his best friend. "Please don't say that to me."

McCoy groaned as pain lanced up his side, darkness already starting to creep into the edge of his vision and he felt a moment of panic. He didn't want to go like this, With Jim so broken and scared next to him. To leave him alone when he had been alone most of his life.

"I'm sorry." He gasped with the little breath he had, chest stuttering as the sounds of running feet and shouts drew closer to them. "I'm so sorry."

"Bones." Jim cried, tears finally falling down his face as his breath sped up, eyes surveying the area with the fear only a man knowing he was about to die could. "Don't leave me alone, please, Bones."

"I'm sor-"

McCoy's voice was drowned out as movement burst out around them, voices shouting for their surrender. Hands grasped and pulled at Jim, trying to draw him away but he held tight, with whatever strength he had he held tight to Bones. He refused to die alone, refused to die away from his friends.

With one hand clasped in the Doctors and eyes locked onto his First Officers he felt the cold of a phaser against his neck. As Jims body sagged to the floor, his last thought was the crackle of his communicator as screams fell from the device, then deadly silence.****

You're so cold, but you feel aliveLay your hand on me one last time

Red and green blood mixed into one around the three bodies. Together in life, it was a small mercy to be together in death.

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